Hollow walled carton

ABSTRACT

A carton constructed of a single folded cardboard blank having hollow wall units along the periphery thereof, means on each of the walls at opposite ends thereof for interlocking adjacent walls together, said locking means being located on the upper wall portions of the hollow wall units and being so arranged as to require opposing ones of hollow wall units to be moved inwardly and subsequently outwardly to effect the interlock between adjacent walls. Moreover, the spacing between the lower ends of the inner and outer walls of each wall unit is slightly less than the width of the respective top wall of the unit, thereby permitting the item stored within the carton to be snugly held in place during shipment.

United States Patent [191 Rosenburg, Jr.

[111 3,765,598 [4 1 Oct, 16, 1973 HOLLOW WALLED CARTON [21] Appl. No.:248,393

Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead Attorney-Watson, Cole, Grindle &Watson [5 7] ABSTRACT A carton constructed of a single folded cardboardblank having hollow wall units along the periphery thereof, means oneach of the walls at opposite ends thereof for interlocking adjacentwalls together, said locking means being located on the upper wallportions of the hollow wall units and being so arranged as to requireopposing ones of hollow wall units to be moved inwardly and subsequentlyoutwardly to effect the interlock between adjacent walls. Moreover, thespacing between the lower ends of the inner and outer walls of each wallunit is slightly less than the width of the respective top wall of theunit, thereby permitting the item stored within the carton to be snuglyheld in place during shipment.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures n I4 X I8 36 38 35 22 2| 1 35 3s l 38PATENTEnum 16 ms SHEET 10F 2 HGI 1 HOLLOW WALLED CARTON This inventionrelates generally to cartons and more particularly to cartons havinginterlocked hollow or tubular wall units located along the peripherythereof thereby defining a hollow frame formed about an item to bepackaged.

Cardboard trays designed to be erected from a single blank have beendevised in the past as having tubular side and end walls therebydefining a support tray for an item to be packaged. Such a tray isthereafter normally shrunk wrapped after it has been erected and an itemplaced therein. During shipment, however, it has been found that suchitems have a tendency to shift within its tray or package therebyrequiring hold-down means or tapes for maintaining the packaged itemsnugly in place. Moreover, such tubular wall cartons either requirelocking tabs to be inserted within tab apertures or other types ofinterlocking means to be manipulated for interlocking adjacent tubularwalls together. The construction of such cartons is, therefore, manytimes of a relatively complex nature, although if they were ofa simplerdesign, the interlock between tubular walls would probably not beadequate for maintaining the integrity of the erected carton duringshipment.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide acarton which may be erected from a single blank into a carton havinghollow or tubular side and end wall units which are simply andconveniently interlocked together and are inwardly movable so as tosnugly embrace the corresponding end and side walls of the packaged itemwithin the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a carton wherein thelocking means for the hollow wall units are provided on the top wallportions of each unit and are so designed that simple inward movement ofadjacent top wall portions serves to align interlocking tongues providedfor the interlock, and subsequent outward movement of these top wallportions serves to positively interlock these tongues together.

A further object of the-present invention is to provide such a cartonwherein each of the inner walls of the hollow wall units are madeto'slant inwardly toward the base panel provided for the carton so as toprovide slanting inner walls for abutting against the end and side wallsof the packaged item lying therein.

A still further object of this invention is to provide such a cartonwherein each of the end edges at opposite ends of the top wall portionslie along a diagonal line extending between the outer and inner walls ofeach unit and the locking tongues each lie in the same plane as thiercorresponding top wall portions and extend outwardly from the oppositeedges thereof.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein: v

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton in accordancewith the present invention is formed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fully erected carton having interlockedhollow wall units as assembled from the blank in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the assembled carton taken along the line3-3 of FIG. 3, showing the item to be packaged stored therein;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the outer covertightly wrapped about the carton to effect a retention of the item to bepackaged by the ho]- low wall units;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the erected carton in theprocess of interlocking adjacent hollow wall units thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 5 showing a portion of theassembled carton blank with its hollow wall units fully interlockedtogether.

Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer tolike and corresponding parts throughout the several views there is shownin FIG. 1 a carton blank generally designated 10, fabricated ofpaperboard, cardboard, or the like and including a central base panel 11of rectangular form having a pair of opposed parallel end edgesgenerally designated 12, and a pair of opposed parallel side edgesgenerally designated 13. Each of the end edges 12 include a fold-line 14and each of the end edges 13 include a fold-line 15.

End panel means generally designated 16 project outwardly of end edges12, and side panel means as generally designated 17 project outwardly ofside edges 13 as shown. The assembled carton in accordance with thepresent invention is erected and portions thereof interlocked togetherwhen the end panel means and the side panel means are properly folded,glued and configured along various fold-lines of each of the panelmeans.

Referring now in more detail to the end panel means 16, it can be seenthat a fold-line 18 is provided in parallel and spaced relationship toend edge 12 thereby defining an outer end wall 19, and a fold-line 21 isprovided outwardly of fold-line 18 in spaced, parallel relationshiptherewith to thereby define a top end wall 22. Furthermore, each endpanel means includes a foldline 23 in spaced, parallel relationship withfold-line 21 thereby defining an inner end wall 24. Glue flaps 25project outwardly of each fold line 23 and are each provided with aquantity of adhesive thereon for properly securing the folded end panelmeans 16 in place.

With respect to the side panel means 17, it can be seen that fold-lines26, 27 and 28 are each provided. in spaced, parallel relationship tofold-line 18 thereby respectively defining an outer side wall 29, a topside wall 31, an inner side wall 32 and a glue flap 33. Again, each ofthe glue flaps 33 is provided with a quantity of adhesive for securingthe folded side panel means in place.

The interlocking means for locking together the ho]- low wall units ofthe carton to be ultimately formed, includes locking tongues 34extending outwardly of opposite edges 35 of each top end wall 22.Moreover, locking tongues36, similar to locking tongues 34, are providedfor each side panel means 17 as well. Such locking tongues 34 projectoutwardly of opposite end edges 37 of each top side wall 31. It can beseen that, for the end panel means 16, end edges 35 are each formedalong a diagonal line extending between fold lines 18 and 21, while theopposite end edges 37 of the side panel means 16 are each formed alongdiagonal lines extending between fold-lines 27 and 26. Moreover, each ofthe locking tongues 34 and 36 are provided with locking grooves 38, andeach of the inner end walls 24 of end panel means 16 have opposite edges39 which are slanted inwardly, while each of the inner side walls 32 ofthe side panels means 17 likewise have opposite edges 41 which areslanted inwardly for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

Having fully described the specific design of blank 10, it will be seenthat the carton may be assembled in accordance with the presentinvention by simply upwardly folding the outer side panels 29 alongtheir respective fold-lines and upwardly folding the outer end panels 19along their respective fold-lines 14. Top side wall panels 31 arethereafter folded inwardly along their respective fold-lines 26 and topend wall panels 22 are inwardly folded along their respective fold-lines18. Finally, inner end wall panels 24 are folded downwardly along theirrespective fold-lines 21 and inner side wall panels 32 are downwardlyfolded along their respective fold-lines 27 after which glue flaps and33 are folded along their respective fold-lines 23 and 28 to overlie thetop surface of base panel 11. The carton is therefore fully erected, asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that the end panel means 16 and the sidepanel means 17 are each formed into hollow or tubular wall units securedin place by means of the glue flaps. As can be seen most clearly in FIG.3, the glue flaps 25 are secured in place in such a manner that thedistance between the lower portions of inner and outer walls 24 and 19is less than the width of top wall 22 which extends between fold-linesl8 and 21. Also, the height of outer end wall 19 is greater than that ofinner end wall 24, and the height of inner side wall 32 is less thanthat of outer side wall 29, whereby the top side and end walls 31, 22each slope inwardly toward base 11.

After the carton has been erected in such manner, the adjacent endpanels means 16 and side panels means 17 are interlocked together bymeans of their locking tongues 34 and 36 which are made to interengagewith one another. FIG. 5 discloses the manner in which top end wall 22and top side wall 31 are shifted inwardly before the locking tongues 34and 36 thereof are made to inter-engage. These top walls are so shiftedin a manner whereby inner end wall 24 slants inwardly at an angle lessthan 90 with basepanel 11 while inner side wall 32 is perpendicular withrespect to the base panel. By shifting top wall 22 first, it can be seenthat locking tongue 36 will be made to underlie top wall 22 during thisinitial shifting procedure. Thereafter, release of side panel means 17causes top wall 22 to shift outwardly whereby the locking tongues 36 and34 interlock as their grooves 38 are mated together. This can be clearlyseen in FIG. 6 of the drawings which shows a typical corner of thecarton fully interlocked, it being understood that the remaining threecorners of the carton are interlocked in an identical manner except thatthe top end wall 22 at the lower end of the carton is of a shorter widthas compared to the top end wall 22 at the top end thereof. In FIGS. 3and 6 it can be also seen that inner end wall 24 is now substantiallyperpendicular to base panel 11 so that outer end wall 19 of the endpanel means 16 slants outwardly away from the base panel 11 at an angleslightly in excess of 90. This is also true for the relative dispositionof inner side wall 32 and outer side wall 29 of the side panel means 17.

The angularity of edges 39 and 41 of their respective inner walls 24 and32, i.e., slanting away from their respective fold-lines 21 and 27,avoids any binding between the end panel and the side panel means duringthe process of interlocking them together as aforedescribed.

The depth of each locking groove 38 is such that inner walls 24 and 32of the erected carton may each lie perpendicular with respect to thebase panel 11 at the time the interlock is fully effected. Also, it canbe seen that outer end wall 19 (FIG. 4) and outer side wall 29 willassume a perpendicular position with respect to the base panel 11 as thecorresponding top walls 22 and 31 are shifted inwardly to thereby causetheir respective inner walls 24 and 32 to be slanted inwardly toward thebasepanel at an angle less than with respect thereto. FIG. 4 shows atypical section through the erected carton with outer end walls 19perpendicular to base panel 11, it being understood that the outer sidewalls 29 are similarly disposed although such is not shown.

Such an inward shift of the top walls 22 and 31 may, therefore,conveniently serve to retain an item 42 in place between inner walls 24and 32 while resting on the top surface of base panel 11. A portion ofinner walls 24 and 32, are, therefore, made to abut against the edges ofitem 42 so as to conveniently hold it in place without the need foradditional flap means or tapes of any type. Of course, such a shiftingof the top walls 22 and 31 may be conveniently effected by means of acover 43 (see FIG. 4) which is shrunk-wrapped over the erected cartonafter the item 42 is placed therein. Consequently, any shifting of theitem within the carton, during shipment, will be substantiallyminimized.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a carton has been devised whichmay be conveniently erected as having hollow wall units about itsperiphery which are capable of being interlocked together by simplyshifting of the top walls of these units inwardly in a manner wherebyadjacent locking tongues conveniently and effectively inter-engage. Thelocking tongues are so arranged that sirn ple movement of a pair ofopposing inner walls toward the base panel less than 90 degrees withrespect thereto permits adjacent locking tongues to inter-engage whensuch opposing pair of panel means are subsequently moved outwardly.Moreover, an inward shift of the top wall of each of the end panel andside panel means, as by a tightly wrapped outer cover for the carton,causes the inner walls of the end and side panel means to be slantedinwardly thereby abutting against the item or product within the carton.Such a carton as afore-described is erected and assembled from a blankof a simple die-cut construction so as to thereby produce an easilyoperated and highly economical hollow walled carton capable of retaininga product to be shipped snugly in place without the need for additionalelements.

Obviously, many modification and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A carton made from a single blank of material comprising: arectangular base panel; an integral hollow wall unit along the peripheryof said base panel at each of the four end edges thereof; each of saidhollow wall units comprising spaced inner and outer side wallsinterconnected by a top wall, the width of each said top wall beinggreater than the spacing between the respective ones of said inner andouter side walls at the lower portions thereof; glue flaps on said innerwalls for securing each of said units to said base panel; lockingtongues on each of said top walls at opposite ends thereof forinterlocking adjacent units together through interengagement of adjacenttongues, said locking tongues on a first opposingpair of said unitsbeing provided with outwardly open locking grooves, and said lockingtongues on a second opposing pair of said units being provided withinwardly open locking grooves for respectively engaging with saidoutwardly open grooves, said grooves each being of a predeterminedwidth, whereby, upon interengagement of said adjacent tongues, each ofsaid inner walls are disposed perpendicularly with respect to said basepanel and each of said outer walls are slanted outwardly with respect tosaid base panel by reason of said relative widths of said top walls andsaid inner and outer wall spacings.

2. The carton according to claim 1 further including a wrapper snugly incontact with the outer surfaces of said top walls, said outer side wallsand said base panel for causing said outer walls to be disposedperpendicularly with respect to said base panel and said inner walls tobe slanted inwardly with respect to said base panel, whereby the productto be supported on said base panel between said opposing hollow wallunit pairs is snugly held in place by said inwardly slanting inner sidewalls abutting against the end and side walls of said product.

3. The carton according to claim 1 wherein said opposite ends of eachsaid top wall each lie along a diagonal line extending between saidouter side walls and said inner side walls of each said unit, saidtongues extending outwardly of said opposite edges of each said unit.

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE i CERTIFICATE OF CQRRECTION P t; N 3,765,598Dated October 16, 1973 Inventor(s) Charles W. Rosenburg, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the title page please insert --Assigned to F. N. Burt Company ofBuffalo, New York-- signed and sealed this 23rd day of April 197A.

(SEAL) Atte at:

iii/WARD l'I.*Lr3TUiiEI'i,JR. C. MARSHALL DAN-N Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents po'wso uscoMM-oc scan-Pu U.5 GOVERNMENT PRINTINGOFFICE: ill J-I,.

1. A carton made from a single blank of material comprising: arectangular base panel; an integral hollow wall unit along the peripheryof said base panel at each of the four end edges thereof; each of saidhollow wall units comprising spaced inner and outer side wallsinterconnected by a top wall, the width of each said top wall beinggreater than the spacing between the respective ones of said inner andouter side walls at the lower portions thereof; glue flaps on said innerwalls for securing each of said units to said base panel; lockingtongues on each of said top walls at opposite ends thereof forinterlocking adjacent units together through interengagement of adjacenttongues, said locking tongues on a first opposing pair of said unitsbeing provided with outwardly open locking grooves, and said lockingtongues on a second opposing pair of said units being provided withinwardly open locking grooves for respectively engaging with saidoutwardly open grooves, said grooves each being of a predeterminedwidth, whereby, upon interengagement of said adjacent tongues, each ofsaid inner walls are disposed perpendicularly with respect to said basepanel and each of said outer walls are slanted outwardly with respect tosaid base panel by reason of said relative widths of said top walls andsaid inner and outer wall spacings.
 2. The carton according to claim 1further incluDing a wrapper snugly in contact with the outer surfaces ofsaid top walls, said outer side walls and said base panel for causingsaid outer walls to be disposed perpendicularly with respect to saidbase panel and said inner walls to be slanted inwardly with respect tosaid base panel, whereby the product to be supported on said base panelbetween said opposing hollow wall unit pairs is snugly held in place bysaid inwardly slanting inner side walls abutting against the end andside walls of said product.
 3. The carton according to claim 1 whereinsaid opposite ends of each said top wall each lie along a diagonal lineextending between said outer side walls and said inner side walls ofeach said unit, said tongues extending outwardly of said opposite edgesof each said unit.